Excellence will be recognized at Brandon University Convocation 2022­­­­

Some of Brandon University’s best will be honoured at Convocation 2022 later this month.

“Teaching, research, and service to community are at the fundamental core of Brandon University, and we’re proud to celebrate those who exemplify those traits,” said BU President Dr. David Docherty. “It is inspiring to work every day with people who bring such passion and energy to campus.”

Two Senate awards are being presented, one for research and another for teaching, as well as a Board of Governors award for community service.

The Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching will be presented to Dr. Joe Stouffer, an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education.

Dr. Stouffer is a mentor of future teachers, especially of literacy education, who believes in the humanizing of teaching: it is responsive, compassionate, and reciprocal. In his teaching approach, effective instruction requires demystifying content and his expectations, showing versus only telling, and encouraging learners to try for themselves. His teaching philosophy emphasizes equity, inclusion, and the valuing of diverse ways of knowing, being, and seeing the world.

Dr. Stouffer will receive his award during the afternoon ceremony on Thursday, May 26.

The Senate Award for Excellence in Research will be presented to Dr. Christopher Schneider, a Professor of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts.

Dr. Schneider, who has taught at BU since 2015, has written or collaborated on six books and has published dozens of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, and essays. His work has been profiled extensively and has received widespread critical acclaim from scholars, activists, practitioners, and journalists in top-ranked academic journals and in national news media.

Dr. Schneider will receive his award during the afternoon ceremony on Friday, May 27.

The Board of Governors Award for Community Service will be presented to Kimberley Ryan, an Associate Professor in Psychiatric Nursing in the Faculty of Health Studies.

Alongside her extensive teaching, qualitative research, and an ongoing career in practice, Ryan has an expansive record of community service both outside of and within the university. This has included multiple terms on the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba Board of Directors and on the BU Senate and Senate Executive. Prior to the pandemic, Ryan also offered equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning through her not-for-profit private practice, which she hopes to resume.

Ryan will receive her award during the morning ceremony on Friday, May 27.

The Senate also approved two Lifetime Achievement Awards, which are being presented to Heather Coulter and posthumously to Bill Gordon.

Other honorees at Convocation include six valedictorians, as well as two Manitoba teachers who are receiving Distinguished Teacher Awards from the BU Faculty of Education.

Lindsey Surridge, who teaches at Angus McKay School in Winnipeg, and Julie Kalinowski, at the  Morden Collegiate Institute in Morden, will receive the honours after being nominated by their coworkers at each institution.

All awards will be presented at Brandon University’s Spring Convocation 2022, which will be held at the Healthy Living Centre on May 26 and 27. All ceremonies will be live-streamed. See BrandonU.ca/Convocation for more.

 

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